What are the four humors?
In Shakespeare’s time people believed that the body had 4 humors, in a similar way to the universe have 4 elements (air, fire, water, and earth). The 4 humors were: blood, choler, phlegm and melancholy. These bodily fluids determined the complexion of a person, not just facially but in the sense of physical and mental constitution. If the 4 humors were in their proper proportions a person has perfect health in body and peace of mind. This seldom happened and usually one humor was dominant. The characteristics of the humors: Blood: ruddy, fair, agreeable, cheerful, and courageous, or lusty, riotous, and impractical. Choler: lean and yellowish in complexion, prone to anger, rashness and pride. Phlegm: pale complexion, fat torpid and dull. Melancholy: lean, swarthy, morose and introspective. The planets and the stars influence the humors, as do periods of life, seasons, social position, national origin, types of food eaten, days of the week and hous of the day. All of these factors would
